Thunder Express
Encyclopedia
Thunder Express was started as a sideproject by Robert Dahlqvist
from the Swedish rock band The Hellacopters
on guitars and vocals together with Robert Pehrsson
from the metal band Death Breath
on guitars, former Diamond Dogs
drummer Jesper Karlsson along with bassist Jens Lagergren of Hello Saferide
and I Are Droid.
song "Thunder Express" as a tip of the hat to the MC5. Other bands whose influence can be heard in the bands music are The Rolling Stones
, Cheap Trick
, The Faces, early material from ZZ Top
and The Hellacopters. The original idea was to record something similar to Fleetwood Mac
's Then Play On
or the Stones Some Girls
, however the project soon took another turn due to Dahlqvist and Pehrsons common guitar heroes from the 1970s. Thunder Express has released two albums, We Play for Pleasure (2004) and Republic Disgrace (2007), as well as on a 4-way split album with the song "I Can Feel The Fire".
, a rough Swedish translation of Thunder Express. These songs and several other all new tracks with Swedish lyrics written together with singer/songwriter Stefan Sundström
were released Februari 18th 2009 on the album Skaffa ny Frisyr. Since then Dahlqvist has stated that he will focus fulltime on Dundertåget and whil Thunder Express will remain active and play shows its unclear if new music in English will be released.
Other contributors
Other releases
Singles
Videos
Robert Dahlqvist
Robert Dahlqvist is a guitarist and vocalist most known for his work with the Swedish rockband The Hellacopters. He's also the lead singer and guitarist in Thunder Express, a band originally started as a sideproject to his work with The Hellacopters...
from the Swedish rock band The Hellacopters
The Hellacopters
The Hellacopters were a Swedish garage rock band that was formed in 1994 by Nicke Andersson , Dregen , Kenny Håkansson and Robert Eriksson . Andersson had been the drummer for death metal band Entombed and Dregen was taking a break from his full-time band Backyard Babies...
on guitars and vocals together with Robert Pehrsson
Robert Pehrsson
Robert Pehrsson is a Swedish musician most known for being the vocalist and guitarist in the death metal band Death Breath as well as the guitarist in the rock band Thunder Express and recently in its Swedish moniker Dundertåget....
from the metal band Death Breath
Death Breath
Death Breath is a Swedish death metal band, featuring Robert Pehrsson and Nicke Andersson formerly of the death metal band Entombed, who wanted to return to playing drums and death metal. The members of the band both have other bands but does not consider Death Breath to be a side project...
on guitars, former Diamond Dogs
The Diamond Dogs
The Diamond Dogs is a Swedish rock band founded in Katrineholm during the early nineties by vocalist Sören 'Sulo' Karlsson and guitarist Anders 'Boba' Lindström.-History:...
drummer Jesper Karlsson along with bassist Jens Lagergren of Hello Saferide
Hello Saferide
Hello Saferide is a Swedish twee pop band fronted by songwriter Annika Norlin. According to Norlin's MySpace, the stage name "Hello Saferide" was "inspired by an intelligent bus driver in a drug-addicted small town, don't ask." The Swedish-language version of the band's biography identifies the...
and I Are Droid.
English releases
The band took its name from the MC5MC5
The MC5 is an American rock band formed in Lincoln Park, Michigan and originally active from 1964 to 1972. The original band line-up consisted of vocalist Rob Tyner, guitarists Wayne Kramer and Fred "Sonic" Smith, bassist Michael Davis, and drummer Dennis Thompson...
song "Thunder Express" as a tip of the hat to the MC5. Other bands whose influence can be heard in the bands music are The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
, The Faces, early material from ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
and The Hellacopters. The original idea was to record something similar to Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
's Then Play On
Then Play On
Then Play On is the third studio album by blues-rock band Fleetwood Mac, first released in September 1969. It was the first of their original albums to feature Danny Kirwan and the last with Peter Green. Jeremy Spencer did not feature on the album apart from "a couple of piano things"...
or the Stones Some Girls
Some Girls
Some Girls is the 14th British and 16th American studio album by The Rolling Stones, released in 1978 on Rolling Stones Records, catalogue COC 39108...
, however the project soon took another turn due to Dahlqvist and Pehrsons common guitar heroes from the 1970s. Thunder Express has released two albums, We Play for Pleasure (2004) and Republic Disgrace (2007), as well as on a 4-way split album with the song "I Can Feel The Fire".
Swedish releases
In late 2008 a number of songs with Swedish lyrics based on Thunder Express tracks were posted on Roberts Dahlqvist's MySpace under the name DundertågetDundertåget
Dundertåget is a Swedish rock band, the band was originally formed by lead vocalist and guitarist Robert Dahlqvist in 2004 as Thunder Express as a side project while playing in The Hellacopters. However in 2008 the band released their first album in Swedish entitled Skaffa ny Frisyr...
, a rough Swedish translation of Thunder Express. These songs and several other all new tracks with Swedish lyrics written together with singer/songwriter Stefan Sundström
Stefan Sundström
Stefan Sundström is a Swedish singer/songwriter and troubadour. After dropping out of school, he started playing in small bands such as Trots, Läppstars and Apache, which later went on to become Weeping Willows. Sundström's music often refers to other important Swedish musicians like Evert Taube,...
were released Februari 18th 2009 on the album Skaffa ny Frisyr. Since then Dahlqvist has stated that he will focus fulltime on Dundertåget and whil Thunder Express will remain active and play shows its unclear if new music in English will be released.
Members
Line-up- Robert DahlqvistRobert DahlqvistRobert Dahlqvist is a guitarist and vocalist most known for his work with the Swedish rockband The Hellacopters. He's also the lead singer and guitarist in Thunder Express, a band originally started as a sideproject to his work with The Hellacopters...
- Guitar and vocals - Robert PehrssonRobert PehrssonRobert Pehrsson is a Swedish musician most known for being the vocalist and guitarist in the death metal band Death Breath as well as the guitarist in the rock band Thunder Express and recently in its Swedish moniker Dundertåget....
- Guitar and harmonies - Jens Lagergren - Bass guitar
- Jesper Karlsson - Drums
Other contributors
- Ebbot LundbergEbbot LundbergTorbjörn "Ebbot" Lundberg is a Swedish musician and the lead singer of the Swedish rock band The Soundtrack of Our Lives. He co-founded the band with Björn Olsson and Ian Person in 1995....
- Songwriting - Nathan Larson - Songwriting
- Kenny HåkanssonKenny HåkanssonKenny Håkansson is the bassist of the highly influential Swedish rock & roll band the Hellacopters. The Hellacopters were founded by Håkansson's childhood friend Nicke Andersson as a side project to his role as a drummer in the heavy metal band Entombed, considered to be founders of death 'n'...
- Songwriting - Anders Osborne - Songwriting
- Mattias Bärjed - Production
- Martin HederosMartin HederosMartin Hederos, born 1972, is a founding member of Nymphet Noodlers and The Soundtrack of Our Lives. He is also a member of the duo Hederos & Hellberg together with Mattias Hellberg, as well as ex-Esbjörn Svensson Trio bassist Dan Berglund's Tonbruket collective. He has released two albums with...
- Piano and organ - Henrik Widen - Piano
- Magnus Jonsson - Trumpet
- Mattias HellbergMattias HellbergMattias Hellberg is a Swedish musician. Hellberg has worked with a variety of Swedish bands and artists in different genres, both as a permanent member and as guest or session member.-Recording career:...
- Harmonica - JaqeeJaqueline NakiriJaqueline Nakiri Nalubale , also known as Jaqee, is a musician born in Kampala, Uganda. In 1990, she immigrated to Sweden, where she began her musical career...
- Vocals
Discography
Albums- We Play for Pleasure (CD) - 2004
- We Play for Pleasure (vinyl) - 2004
- Republic Disgrace (CD) - 2007
- Republic Disgrace (vinyl) - 2007
Other releases
- A 4-way super split - 2008
- Razzia Vol. 1 / There's a Razzia Going On - 2008
Singles
- Believe In You / Coming Back - 2004
- In My Mind / Believe In You - 2004
- Republic Disgrace - 2007
Videos
- Believe In You - 2004
- Republic Disgrace - 2007
- New York Gold - 2007